


Falling and Falling Fast

by WithTheKeyIsKing



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Abduction, Brainwashing, Gen, Hydra (Marvel), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Season/Series 02, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2015-06-13
Packaged: 2018-03-19 03:59:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3595497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WithTheKeyIsKing/pseuds/WithTheKeyIsKing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the events of CA: TWS, Clint was on a mission in Germany to rescue a SHIELD scientist. When his team turns on him and brings him to HYDRA, Clint thinks things can't get any worse. That is, until Daniel Whitehall decides to make Clint comply...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Clint tapped his fingers against the limb of his bow, staring at the empty landscape through his scope. He was used to sitting completely still for long periods of time, so we wasn't all that bored. Besides, he had his team to torment.

"Hey, guys," he began with a small smile. "Did you know that a male cat's penis is barbed? I bet the fem-cats were never consulted on _that_ fact." There was a chorus of groans through his com link, but Clint knew his team wasn't actually upsetwho else would entertain them for this ten hour stake-out?

"I actually did know that," Agent Koski interjected in her light voice. Clint could help but quirk a smile anytime she talked; she was so kind and gentle, especially for an agent.

"See!" Clint said triumphantly. "At least someone knows something use-" Suddenly he cut off, focusing in on what he saw through his scope. A white van was rolling along the abandoned road. "I spy with my little eye..." Clint murmured quietly. "A clean white van with bullet-proof and tinted windows. Walls are coated in a heat-resister, so I can't see how many people are inside."

The sniper could practically feel the brisk nod coming from his team leader, Agent Woshen. "Alright, Hawkeye. Take out the tires and then move in."

Clint did so immediately. With two perfectly aimed arrows, he blew holes in the front and back left side tires. As the van skidded to a halt, Clint slid down the tree he was perched in, moving swiftly through the underbrush and towards the van. He could see members of his team also approaching, but focused on the target; getting shot because he wasn't paying attention would be a serious blow to his ego.

The front car door swung open and a gun was thrust out, shooting wildly. Clint fired an arrow and hit the gun-holder straight in the hand, causing the man so fall out of the car with a yell. Clint fired another arrow at his feet, a rope springing free and binding his ankles tightly.

Scanning his perimeter one last time, Clint moved towards the back of the van. Agent Woshen met him there. They exchanged a glance and then both reached forward, swinging open the doors. Sitting in the back was an old man with his hands bound and a blindfold over his eyes.

Clint tossed his bow to the ground and reached forward. The manClint recognized him as their target, scientist Erin Jamisonflinched when Clint's fingers brushed his face, so Clint removed the blindfold quickly so that the man could see him.

Jamison looked around with wide eyes, from Clint, to Woshen, to the other six agents behind him. "Are you-are you SHIELD?" the man asked tentatively.

Clint smiled in what he hoped was in a reassuring manner. "That's right, Dr. Jamison. We're here to bring you home." The elderly man smiled in relief. Suddenly a loud _bang_ sounded, and Jamison's head snapped back, a bullet wound right in the middle of his forehead. Clint whirled around and reached for the pistol at his hip, expecting to see one of the mercenaries that his team must have missed.

Instead, he was met with the sight of Agent Woshen pointing a gun straight at the now dead scientist. Another shot rang out, and another. Agent Koski and Agent Jones dropped to the ground. Suddenly five guns were pointed straight at Clint. Five guns in the hands of his fellow SHIELD agents.

Clint pulled his pistol, leveling it and shooting. But the others were already moving, one grabbing each of his arms. Someone managed to pry the gun from his hand, but that didn't stop Clint from kicking out and pulling against the tight hold on his person. He yelled curses at them all, focusing the brunt force of his insults at the stone faced Agent Woshen who was standing right in front of him with crossed arms, doing nothing but watching.

The two agents holding himClint knew they were Brian Parks and David Seizer from process of eliminationwere holding him in a way that the only way that he would be able to pull free was if he yanked his shoulder out of it's socket, and even then his chances of escape were at about 40%.

Finally Clint slowed his struggling, most definitely _not_ giving up, but realizing he wasn't helping himself. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly and then opening them. He glared at Woshen angrily.

"Well isn't this great. What are you, huh? What low-life group do you belong too?" Clint snarled. His eyes flicked around, looking for possible escape routes. Suddenly his eyes landed on Agents Koski and Jones, both staring lifelessly at the sky, thick blood flowing from two identical bullet holes in their heads. Clint turned back to glare at Woshen with fury.

Woshen's lips quirked into something of a smirk, clearly amused, which just stood to piss Clint off even more. Clint screamed, jerking forward, fully intending to punch the smile right off of his face. Parks and Seizer, having been unprepared for his sudden motion, took a moment to pull him back. Clint snarled.

"Agent Jenna Koski, age twenty-eight. Passed her training in only two years. Became a top field agent after only three more. She just got engaged to a paramedic, Daniel Shaw. The wedding would've been in August.

"Agent Peter Jones, age thirty-four. Deaf in one ear, orphan. SHIELD was where all of his friends were. SHIELD was his home," Clint finished his description of the victims with a harsh breath, looking at Woshen angrily. Woshen's expression hadn't changed the whole time, nor had he moved, still smirking and standing at ease.

"You seem to be under the impression, Agent Barton, that I care that I just ordered two young people dead and took their futures from them," he paused, eyes flicking over Clint's body greedily. "That, of course, would be completely incorrect."

"Well I commend your lack of morality," Clint said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "So, what's the plan, huh? You gunna put a bullet in me, too?"

Woshen rose his eyebrows. "Oh no, Agent Barton. We have bigger plans for you." He then stalked forward, raising his hand, which was holding a syringe. Clint jerked in the hold on him, trying to pull away, but it was useless. The needle jabbed into his neck and Woshen pushed down on the handle. Clint fought against the sleepiness that was threatening to take over, but he couldn't. The world faded into darkness.

* * *

Clint woke up standing, hands bound next to his head, legs and stomach barred to something behind him, head kept tightly in place. Everything was blurry, but he could feel someone in front of him, attaching something to his eyelids and prying them open.

The agent of SHIELD groaned and tried to pull away, but his restraints prevented him from any movement. His vision finally cleared just as whoever had been fixing his eyes open moved out of Clint's line of view. Somewhere behind him a door opened and shut.

"Hello, Agent Barton. You have worked very tirelessly against us, haven't you?" A man wearing a tailored suit and thin glasses came into view, looking thoughtfully at Clint.

Clint smirked the best he could with his face all clipped up. “Yeah, well, anyone who kills and kidnaps is a bad-guy in my book. Now, which SOB are you? Who do you work for?”

The man smiled in a calculating manor, and continued on as if Clint had never spoken. "But it's alright, I believe in second chances. I want us to work together. I want you to become a valued member of our organization. Surrender, and you will find meaning. Surrender, and you will find release. Take a deep breath. Calm your mind. You know what's best. What's best is you comply. Compliance will be rewarded. Are you ready to comply, Agent Barton?"

Clint snorted. "Never."

The man simply nodded, looking not at all bothered by the response. "Turn it on," he said to someone over the agent's shoulder, never taking his eyes off of him.

Suddenly an array of swirling colors was projected on a large screen directly in front of Clint. It was... _mesmerizing._

What could've been five minutes or five hours later, the man stepped back into view. "Surrender, and you will find meaning. Surrender, and you will find release. Take a deep breath, calm your mind. You know what's best, and what's best is you comply. Compliance will be rewarded. Are you ready to comply, Agent Barton?"

Clint's eyes snapped away from the _peacefulcalmingfreeing_ screen of colors to look at the man. He let out a growl, trying to clear his head. "I will _never_ comply with you!"

The man tilted his head, his gaze almost...pitying. "Agent Barton, this method is quite effective. It has a 100% success rate. It might take a while, but I promise you: you _will_ comply. Now, take a deep breath and calm your mind. You know what's best, what's best is you comply. Surrender, and you will find meaning. Surrender, and you will find release. Compliance will be rewarded. Are you ready to comply, Agent Barton?"

"Never!"

The man sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. He walked out of Clint's view. "Alright, let's give him the night. I'll come back in the morning." A door opened and then shut.

The colors swirled in front of Clint's eyes, pushing and pulling at his thoughts. Why shouldn't he comply? The colors were so peaceful, and the man said he would be rewarded...Wouldn't that be nice? All he wanted was some nice-

_No!_ The agent of SHIELD shook his head the best he could, pushing those thoughts from his mind. He began singing loudly, belting out the lyrics of _Bohemian Rhapsody_ by Queen. Natasha had always made fun of his obsession with the band, but right then it was going to protect his mind. Focusing on all of the lyrics, word by word, would help him keep himself.

Why was that a good thing to do, again?

"Hello, Agent Barton."

Clint gasped in surprise, eyes darting to the side wildly. Standing there was the man from before, the man who could save him. _No, the one who wanted to erase him._ “I-I thought you weren’t coming back ‘till morning.” He croaked out. Why was his throat so dry? He’d only been singing for a few minutes, right?

The smile smiled slightly. “Turn it up, he's losing time. That’s a good sign.” Clint frowned, unsure what that meant. _Losing time…?_ “Surrender, and you will find meaning. Surrender, and you will find release. Take a deep breath, calm your mind. You know what's best, and what's best is you comply. Compliance will be rewarded. Are you ready to comply, Agent Barton?"

Clint hesitated, unsure. Why shouldn’t he? _Tasha wouldn’t want you to._ The thought jarred him to the bone. Tasha, SHIELD, Coulson, the freaking Avengers! How could those thoughts slip from his mind? What was happening to him?!

“Do not worry, Agent Barton. They are not important. Take a deep breath, and clear your mind.”

Had he spoken out loud? Could the man read his thoughts? What was going on?! The colors suddenly got much more intense, and he lost himself in the swirling patterns. His muscles relaxed and he sighed as some pain was soothed from his limbs.

“There you go, Agent Barton. Surrender, and you will find meaning. Surrender, and you will find release. Take a deep breath. Calm your mind. You know what's best. What's best is you comply. Compliance will be rewarded. Are you ready to comply, Agent Barton?"

“I…” Clint didn’t know, he didn’t know what was right, what was _updownleftright_ and he was so confused. “No, no I will not comply.”

“I’ll come back tonight.” Once again Clint felt as if he wasn’t the one being spoken to, but he didn’t see anyone else in the room. Footsteps. Door open, door close.

Clint’s thoughts were silent, a whitewash of peace and calm. It was so nice…

“Agent Barton, how are you?”

Clint wanted to tell whoever was there how nice he felt, how calm and relaxed all of him felt, but he couldn’t get his lips to move. But it didn’t bother him, nothing did, nothing would. So Clint stared at the wonderful colors in front of him and happily stayed silent.

“I have to say, I’m impressed with you, Agent Barton,” the man said. Pride swelled in Clint’s chest at the compliment from the kind, unknown man. “No one has ever last more than two days in front of that screen, but you...You’ve been here almost two whole weeks and never have you shown signs of truly breaking until today. I’m very glad that we approved the motion to make you one of us.”

Clint felt somewhere deep inside of him that he should have a definite problem with the fact that he’d been missing for two weeks he couldn’t remember and that no one had come for him, but those thoughts quickly left him. Who would come for him? He was a leaf on the wind, a calm pool of water. He was satisfied where he was, why would he want anyone to come for him?

“Surrender, and you will find meaning. Surrender, and you will find release. Take a deep breath. Calm your mind. You know what's best. What's best is you comply. Compliance will be rewarded. Are you ready to comply, Agent Barton?"

Compliance, that sounded really good. And he’d be rewarded, that sounded so _nice..._

“Are you ready to comply, Agent Barton?”

“Yes, Sir,” Clint croaked out, his throat incredibly dry. “Anything you need, Sir.”

The man smiled. “Perfect, Agent Barton. Just perfect.” **  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Clint stared down his scope, hand brushing his cheek as he pulled back the string of his bow. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, (something he definitely didn't need to do; he could make the shot without even looking) Clint released on the exhale. The bowstring snapped back into place with a _twang,_ the arrow shooting through the sky at lightning speed. Clint only stared through his scope for another few seconds, making sure the target went down before packing away his equipment.

"Target downquite stunningly, I might add," Clint said into his earpiece and walked across the roof. He moved to the fire-escape and began jogging down it, slinging his compacted bow over his shoulder so that it rested on his back next to his quiver.

 _"Good work, Hawkeye,"_ the voice of Sunil Bakshi came through his comms, sounding very satisfied with himself, even though Clint had done the actual hit. _"Everyone is quite pleased with your work. Now, get to the rendezvous point, you're needed in Washington DCthe helicopter will take you where you need to be."_

"Understood, Sir," Clint replied, already coming up on the rendezvous point. Waiting on top of the small parking garage was a SA 330 Puma, a medium transport helicopter. Clint quickly made his way to the roof, and nodded to the man and woman waiting for him. The woman looked vaguely familiar; she had short brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, and startling green eyes; she was very pretty, but Clint couldn't place her face.

"Agent Barton," the man said, shaking Clint's hand and pulling his attention from the sort-of familiar woman. "We're to take you to DC; I have the file you need to read for your next mission. My name is Agent Tyler Jones, and this is my co-pilot, Agent Jessica Syler."

Clint rose his eyebrows in surprise at the name, remembering immediately where he'd seen her before. She'd been a SHIELD agent, they'd had a fling for a couple of months; nothing too serious, but Clint remembered thinking she was a kick-ass agenthe'd taught her to be a pilot, after all, how could she be anything less than awesome?

"Jessica!" Clint said with a grin, striding forward. The woman stiffened slightly, probably expecting a punch from him because she betrayed SHIELD, but Clint didn't care about that. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek lightly. "You look as beautiful as you always did. So you're my pilot, huh? You better do great, I was your _teacher,_ after all; wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you?" His gaze and tone were teasing, and Jessica smiled back, wide and relieved.

"Sir, yes, Sir," she replied with a mock salute. Clint chuckled and the three of them got into the helicopter. Agent Jones handed him a file and Clint flicked it open, looking through it. There was information on an 084, that had brought a wake of death with it. Carl Creel was currently in pursuit of the objectcalled the obeliskand Clint was to provide support when Creel tried to get the information of the location of the obelisk from Brigadier General Talbot.

He reviewed the whole file during the helicopter ride, and soon they were landing in Washington, DC. Agent Jones instructed Clint to head to Potomac Plaza, where Brigadier General Talbot was said to be headed to with his family. Creel was going to move in soon, since there was the possibility of SHIELD interfering, and Clint had to be there as back-up.

When Clint got to Potomac Plaza, he spotted Talbotwho he recognized from all of the media broadcasts, and the filewalking with a woman and a boy who had to be his family. Clint pulled his mask on, a simple black thing that covered his mouth and nose and black tinted goggles, and hid in the shade of a tree, moving forward as Talbot and his family moved forward.

The boy ran off, and Talbot and the woman talked for a bit. A man walked by, far too close, and bumped into Talbot. Clint narrowed his eyes; that seemed a lot like a hand-off. As a precaution, Clint drew his handgun from it's slot on his thigh; his bow, at the moment, would be too bigit would draw more attention than he needed right then.

Suddenly Talbot was forcing the woman away from him, whispering harshly; she ran to the boy and they left quickly, while the Brigadier General pulled a phone out of his pocket and answered it angrily. After a minute or so, Talbot broke the phone in half and tossed the pieces away. Then Creel was there, and so was SHIELD Agent Melinda May. Clint moved out of his hiding place, shooting at May, hitting her in the arm. She turned to him, surprised, and was about to engage him when someone shot Creel twice in the chest with some kind of electric blast, which brought him down, and May retreated.

As armed men appeared to come to Talbot's assistance, Clint ducked away, pulling off his mast and stealing a coat off of a bench to cover his weapons, blending into the crowd to get away.

"Sir," Clint pushed the button on his comms as he ducked into an alleyway, having made sure he wasn't being followed. "Creel was taken into custody. Now, while that wasn't the original plan, it's not the worst thing that could've happened."

There were a few moments of silence, and then, _"what do you mean, Agent Barton?"_

"Well," Clint began, "we needed the location of the base where they're keeping all of the objects and the prisoners, right? Chances are that they're taking Creel there right now. All he has to do is break out, and we're golden."

Another minute of silence. _"Good work, Hawkeye. Your compliance will be rewarded."_

Clint felt a calm wave pass over him at the words, and he nodded, feeling lighter and happier than he had in a while. "I'm happy to comply, Sir."

* * *

Clint knocked the arrow, and released it. Knocked another, and released. Knock, release. Knock, release. Knock

"How long have you been down here?" An amused voice asked. Clint turned around, lowering his bow. Jessica was standing there, arms crossed over her chest, eyebrow raised and lips quirked in a small smile.

The archer shrugged, turning back to the targets in front of him and releasing another arrow. He kept going as he spoke. "I don't know, maybe two hours? I just got out of a meeting with Mr. Bakshi, debriefing about my part of the mission. I was right, Creel was taken to the military's super secret base; he's after the 084 as we speak." He heard footsteps approach behind him, until they stopped, and when she spoke, Jessica sounded a lot closer.

"You do know that you're not here of your own free will, right?" She said hesitantly.

Clint frowned, pausing in his motion to grab another arrow from his quiver, and turned to look at the other Hydra agent. Jessica's gaze was flickering from him to around the room and back again, but when she met his eyes she looked serious. She bit her lip nervously.

"Yes, I do know that," he replied evenly, putting down his bow and examining her, trying to see where she was coming from. When Jessica frowned and opened her mouth to ask more questions, Clint put up a hand to stop her. "And no, it doesn't bother me. I am loyal to Hydra, it doesn't matter how that loyalty was formed. Yes, I remember I used to be a SHIELD agent; no, I don't care." He paused and turned back to the targets, picking up his bow again. "Does that answer your question?"

Jessica was silent, so after a couple minutes, Clint turned back to look at her. She was frowning still, looking at him like he was a puzzle she was trying to solve. She opened her mouth as if to talk, but then closed it. She did this once more before sighing and shaking her head, then stepping closer to Clint until she was in his personal space.

Clint opened his mouth to ask what she was doing, but then her lips were on his, warm and soft, and Clint forgot about the fact that she looked almost sad at the fact that he wasn't at Hydra willingly.

* * *

The next day, Creel was dead. A few days later, Clint was being called for a retrieval mission in Marrakech, Morocco.

The beginning was quite simple; they watched their targetDonald Gillfor a while, talking to the people he interacted with to have them watch him and report back. Gill was at a café, Clint and his teammates waiting in the back, when the café owner let something slip. Gill stood quickly and used his powers to freeze the man, killing him instantly.

"Mr. Gill!" Agent Kalvin called out cautiously, approaching Gill with his hands raised in a sign of surrender. Clint kept his gun trained on Gill until Agent Kalvin instructed him to stand down. Agent Kalvin slowly walked towards the table that Gill was standing by, talking a seat and telling him they just wanted to talk. In a flash, Gill had his hands on the table and ice was spreading across it and over to where Agent Kalvin's hand were on the table, freezing them and then the rest of the Agent's body.

Clint pulled his gun back out, but he remembered his orders before he could shoot; Hydra wanted their asset back alive and unharmedthat meant no bullet wounds. So, making the decision to _not die,_ Clint turned and ran, instructing the rest of the agents inside the restaurant to go with him.

 The next day Clint was instructed to rendezvous with a Hydra strike team at the port of Casablanca. He suited up, wearing a bulletproof vest and some padded clothing; the port was apparently an ice land.

Clint waited to the side of the Hydra ship that Donald Gill had taken over as the helicopter landed. The Hydra team exited, along with Sunil Bakshi who was talking to a young woman that Clint thought was named Simmons; she'd been a scientist for SHIELD, if he remembered correctly.

"Sir," Clint greeted with a nod of respect when they approached. Simmons glanced over at him and did a double take, her eyes widening in shock. Yeah, she'd definitely been a SHIELD agent if she recognized him on sight. She was probably just shocked that he was with Hydra.

"Ah, Agent Barton, good," Mr. Bakshi replied distractedly. "Shall we?" He said, gesturing towards the walk that led to the ship. Clint nodded and followed behind him, Simmons standing where she was for a few more moments before following as well.

Simmons left them and went deep into the ship, going to talk to Gill. Clint, Bakshi, and the team waited on the upper levels while Bakshi talked Simmons through getting Gill to calm down. When Bakshi instructed Simmons to repeat after him, Clint got immediately calmer, more focused, the words that Bakshi was saying going straight into him. Clint was snapped out of his almost-trance by a couple shots ringing out. Soon there was the sound of someone running down the hall, and Clint raised his gun, waiting for a hostile, but it was Simmons that came around the corner.

When Gill appeared, Bakshi once again stated the words from before, and Clint once again felt his resolve hardenhis loyalty was with Hydra, Hydra was the answer, he was happy to comply.

They moved to the top deck of the ship, and Bakshi gave Gill orders to freeze the ship and kill everyone inside. Simmons looked frightened and sad, but Clint didn't have time to think about that; his job was to protect Bakshi.

Suddenly, a shot rang out and Gill yelled, before teetering over the railing of the ship and down into the water below. Everyone whipped around, and another shot rang out, Simmons pushing Bakshi out of the way. Bakshi instructed them all to go, and so Clint moved off of the ship, gun raised the whole time in case of another attack. Quickly they all boarded the helicopter, and the pilot took off.

* * *

Ask anyone who had ever met him, they could tell you that Clint seriously hated doing nothing. When he wasn't on a mission, he was training, or hanging out with his friends, or writing mission reports. He made sure he was always doing something, but even though he was currently on mission, he was...doing nothing. Absolutely freaking nothing.

He was waiting at the hotel they were staying at while Bakshi did the whole undercover thing, pretending to be Brigadier General Talbot so that he could get the painting without arising suspicion. Agent 33or Kara, as he called her; they'd been friends before SHIELD fellwas looking over the files on Melinda May and Phillip Coulson as she teased him about being impatient. Clint simply rolled his eyes and excused himself to the bathroom.

About thirty seconds later Clint heard a loud yell from the other room. Clint quickly zipped up and ran back into the main room just as Bakshistill disguised as Talbotpunched SHIELD Agent May. May fought him for a moment before knocking him down, just as Kara tased her from behind, knocking her unconscious. Clint walked forward, staring down at the prone figure of Agent May.

"So that's Agent May," Kara said, a little breathlessly. "I guess the file wasn't overselling her."

Bakshi, looking like himself now that May had managed to pull his Photostatic Veil (sometimes called a Nano Mask) off, heaved an angry sigh. "If Coulson sent her it would seem he doesn't fully trust Talbot. So now, we need to send in somebody he _does_ trust."

Clint helped them remove Agent May's dress from her body so that she was just in an under dress. Kara slipped into the dress and smiled slightly at the shimmery quality to it. Clint rolled his eyes and told her she looked beautiful, but she simply rolled her eyes back at him, shoving his shoulder lightly. Bakshi, meanwhile, pricked May's finger and put the blood sample into the machine that would make another Photostatic Veil, this time of Agent May's face. When it was completed, Kara put it on, instantly looking like May.

"How do I look?" She asked with a smirk.

Clint couldn't help but grin back. "Eh, you've looked better." She rolled her eyes at him, and then they turned back to the task at hand.

Bakshi handed Kara a devise and they hacked into May's phone; Kara called Coulson, talking to him briefly. Clint felt something in his chest tighten at Coulson's voice, but he didn't understand the feeling or where it was coming from, so he shook it away.

When Kara left, Clint picked up Agent May's limp form and placed her in a chair, tying her feet to the legs of it and her wrists to the arms. Her head hung limply against her chest, and Clint looked at her curiously. May and he had gone on plenty of missions together before her self-imposed desk work; he'd enjoyed her company. Now he only felt this weird detachment, a soft itch at the back of his mind the only issue.

After about half an hour, May began to rouse herself. She yanked against her bonds with a grunt, face scrunching up in annoyance. When she discovered that she couldn't get outClint was quite good at knotsshe glared at Bakshi, not even noticing Clint standing behind her.

"Welcome back, Agent May," Bakshi said warmlywell, as warmly as Bakshi could get. "I have a few questions for you. For example, why your sudden interest in religious artwork?"

Agent May rolled her shoulders. "Everybody's got to have a hobby."

Bakshi just smirked. "You and your small band of SHIELD compatriots; there can't be many of you left. Who's running your operation?" May was silent. "Where are you based?"

"Currently? About five feet from kicking your ass."

"Huh," Bakshi huffed a breath. "I don't much believe in empty threats, Agent May," he said, removing his jacket. "I prefer promises. Such as this; you will tell me what I want to know."

"You have no idea what you're starting," May said quietly.

"Perhaps," Bakshi said with a shrug of one shoulder. "But I serve a man who has an interesting way of getting what he wants. You will meet him soon. And you will comply. Until then..." Bakshi looked over at Clint, a wicked smile on his face. "Agent Barton, would you like to improvise?"

May's head whipped around as Clint walked forward, hands clasped behind his back. "Of course, Sir." He pulled one of the lights out, yanking the cord down and pressing two wires against each other, causing them to spark.

 _"Barton?"_ May said incredulously. "What-" she looked between Bakshi and Clint holding the wires, glaring heavily.

Bakshi smiled, sickly sweet. "I'll let you two get reacquainted." Then he left the room, pulling out his phone as he went and pressing a few buttons with a frown of concentration. Clint didn't hesitate in pressing the exposed wires he was holding to May's skin. She grunted but was otherwise silent. When Clint pulled the wires away to admire the mark he had left behind, May spoke.

"Clint," she said between her teeth. "I know you, you are not Hydra."

Clint laughed humorlessly. "You're wrong." He pressed the wires to her skin once again, and, once again, she grunted.

"No, I'm not," May said when he removed the wires. "If you were Hydra, why did you bring Romanov to SHIELD instead of Hydra? If you were Hydra, you would've brought her to them, right?"

The light-haired man frowned, shaking his head. "I wasn't Hydra back then, but I am now. Hydra is the true path, it is what I was meant to do."

May snorted, rolling her eyes. "No, Clint, you're wrong. You have always been loyal to SHIELD, you _believe_ in SHIELD. You brought Natasha in instead of killing her because you saw SHIELD as a second chance, as a _good thing_ that could help her. You've always thought that, Clint. Even when Natasha or Bobbi or Kara were doubting the rightness of what we were working towards, you were always there to show them how much _good_ SHIELD did because you _believe_ in SHIELD."

Clint shook his head again, this time to clear his head. His thoughts were getting muddled together, the itch in the back of his head getting stronger; emotions he hadn't felt in a long time coming to the forefront. He took a couple steps away from Melinda _no, she was Agent May_ stumbling slightly. Nothing was making sense. Melinda May, she was his friend, wasn't she? No, she was the enemy. She was his friend. The enemy. His friend. The enemy. His fr

"Melinda? What's happening to me?" He mumbled, sitting on the floor when he started feeling extremely dizzy.

"It's ok, Clint," Melinda sounded incredibly relieved, but her voice was as even and calm as ever. "Just untie me, and we can"

"Agent Barton." Clint's head whipped around at the new voice. Bakshi had reentered the room, and he was looking between Clint and Melinda with something akin to muted anger. But then he smiled, the same slick smile that had never creeped Clint out like it did right then, and he began talking. "Take a deep breath, calm your mind." Clint squeezed his eyes shut, hands going up to hold his head. "You know what is best; what is best is you comply. Compliance will be rewarded. Are you ready to comply, Agent Barton?"

Suddenly Clint's thoughts all realigned, and everything was clear. He was loyal to Hydra, Hydra was the answer, SHIELD was not. He opened his eyes and stood back up, smiling ever-so-slightly. "I'm happy to comply."

There was a sound from outside, and so Bakshi went to go check the peephole, and Clint went to grab a glass of water, feeling very tired all of a sudden. He turned back around at the sound of something breaking, to see Agent May having escaped from her bonds and attacking Bakshi. She knocked the man out and then turned to face Clint.

"Clint, it's clear that you're under some form of brainwashingI don't want to hurt you. Stand down, Barton, and let me do my job," May said sternly; it was kind of ridiculous that she still seemed like such a threat when she was just standing there wearing nothing but a skimpy under-dress slip. Clint knew he wouldn't win in hand-to-hand against her, so he tore his attention away from her, running to Bakshi's side and trying to rouse the other man. May sighed and opened the door, leaving the room.

After a short while, Bakshi came to. He snapped up into a seated position, and began barking orders. "Get the painting, and let's get out of here!"

Clint did as asked, moving quickly into the other room and grabbing the painting from it's resting place. Bakshi took it from him when he reentered the main room, looking it over with a hungry eye, before nodding to the door. "We're going to runignore anything you see outside that door; protect me and the painting with your life." Clint nodded his understanding and they moved through the open door. Clint herded Bakshi down the hall; Bakshi looked back at the fighting that was happening, but Clint just kept moving.

Bakshi opened his phone as Agent Coulson of SHIELD chased after them down the halls of the hotel, calling for reinforcements to their location. Suddenly there was the sound of something like a shot, and Bakshi went down.

"Sir!" Clint called in alarm. He moved to pick up Bakshi and the painting, to carry them both out of there, when another shot rang out and everything went black.


End file.
